Eric Booth: "The teaching artist is the expert who brings people from outside the arts, inside the arts."

We continue our Summer School blog series with an introduction to the particular talents and skills of teaching artists. Beginning with explanation from award-winning educator Eric Booth, we get a glimpse of teaching artistry in action as Richard Harris, a recent fellow of The Academy, exemplifies the principles of teaching artistry while working with young jazz musicians at Fordham High School for the Arts.

“There's an amazing synergistic relationship between your educator's perspective and how it feeds you as an artist, and how when you are artistically engaged, there are new [teaching] ideas … This back and forth actually makes you better at both.”

—Eric Booth, award-winning music educator

“They didn't believe they could write a piece of music, but once you set up the scaffolding, they look back three or four weeks later and think, wow, we're here.”

—Richard Harris, Academy fellow 2010–2012

We'll revisit the principles and practice of teaching artistry in the coming months as the Summer School series continues.

For more information about The Academy, a fellowship preparing young professional musicians for careers in musical excellence with teaching, community outreach, advocacy, and leadership, visit:ACJW.org